Beautiful and reliable entrance doors are necessary for both a small apartment and a luxurious home. No matter how high-quality metal doors are, they still wear out and lose their original appearance, and their properties too. One of the options to update one of the most important elements of your home is to restore metal doors using MDF overlays.
What are MDF overlays and what are their advantages.
Today, the abbreviation MDF most often means a board made from compressed small wood chips. Hence MDF is a finely dispersed fraction.
This wood material is environmentally friendly. In other particle boards, shavings or sawdust are held together using synthetic adhesives or resins using high pressure. The adhesive for MDF boards is lignin. This is a natural material that is obtained by heating wood.
This factor makes MDF material safe for the health of residents. However, this is not its only advantage; there are others:
- on the surface of an MDF board you can create a decorative relief of any complexity;
- the material can withstand sudden fluctuations in temperature and humidity;
- the board contains no formaldehyde, which negatively affects humans and pets;
- wide color variety;
- resistance to daily mechanical stress;
- low cost relative to iron and wood.
With the help of PVC film, which covers the overlay, you can imitate any type of wood, different colors and textures.
Patterns that are made using a router before covering the film overlay can, in most cases, be ordered at your discretion. This will make the restored door exclusive.
Tools and materials needed to update old iron doors.
Do-it-yourself restoration of doors with MDF panels is a simple process. But it still requires some preparation and certain tools and materials that will allow you to install the linings carefully and also make the work easier.
The most important material, which may not be prepared in one day, is the finished overlay itself. Often the overlay is ordered and purchased in stores. However, nowadays the exclusivity of the design of one's home is valued. Therefore, you can take advantage of the opportunity to order and create your own unique overlay.
To do this, a door design is thought out that can match the facade of the house, if the lining is being prepared for the outside, or with the interior of the home, if it is planned to install the lining on the inside of the door. The climatic features of the area in which the house or apartment is located are also taken into account.
Depending on the wear and tear of the front door, you may need paint solvents, paints themselves, glue, materials to eliminate unevenness, etc.
The tools needed for high-quality upholstery include a hammer, drill, screwdriver and screwdriver. You need to prepare the correct drills, screws and self-tapping screws for them.
The procedure for upholstering the front door with MDF panels.
Restoring doors with your own hands using MDF overlays entails an increase in the thickness of the door leaf. Therefore, it is worth considering the method of installing linings and replacing door fittings and locks.
The process of self-restoration of the front door is divided into several stages:
- If possible, it is advisable to remove the iron door from its hinges. The door leaf must be cleaned of dust and degreased. To ensure maximum adherence of the lining to the canvas, it is necessary to paint it or cover it with a special vinyl film.
- Most often, MDF panel linings are attached to the door metal using self-tapping screws. To do this, holes are made with a drill along the perimeter of the lining in increments of 10-12 centimeters. Depending on the intended design of the new door, the screw heads are either hidden during screwing in or after installation with special overlays in the color of the MDF.
- If both external and internal linings are being installed, then the inner side of the door is trimmed first. This makes it possible to hide the screw heads behind the trim on the outside of the front door. Also, the screw fastenings are duplicated with glue for reliability.
- At the end, the shutoff valves and door fittings are installed. Eyes, handles, chains, etc. are checked.
For a detailed introduction to the technology of cladding iron doors with MDF panels, you can watch the video at the link:
Alternative ways to install MDF panels on a metal door.
Fastening with self-tapping screws is not always appropriate. Their caps or caps are visible, or a more reliable fastening is needed on a large door. This reliability is ensured by installation with screws, but the places of these fastenings are still visible.
The most aesthetic, but no less reliable option is to secure the panel to the door using moldings. Their role can be played by special strips made of metal or wood.
The molding presses the panel to the door leaf. It is also attached with self-tapping screws or self-tapping screws, depending on the size and weight of the lining.
Moldings perform not only a fastening function. Depending on the intended design, they can become a decorative frame for the door, which will give it a finished look.
Also, with the help of moldings they often hide defects that have formed on an old door, which is not unimportant for restoration.
Decorative overlays on doors perform the main function - they help to disguise large and small defects, and they can also be used to improve the appearance of a door that has recently been in use. If desired, the shade, surface configuration and texture of such a coating can be changed. The overlays are one-piece products, which greatly simplifies installation. For comparison, materials such as plastic and veneer panels, fiberboard, take longer to install due to their compact dimensions.
There are a large number of decoration methods, differing in the type of material used and the degree of complexity of implementing the idea. The most common:
- Coloring. This method is preferably used for finishing a metal entrance door. The paint prevents moisture and improves the appearance of the sash. This material is used to decorate doors on the outside and inside. However, the coating gradually loses its properties, which means it should be periodically restored. This recommendation applies to cases where the sash is located on the border with the street. In apartment buildings, the paint on the door leaf will last longer.
- Covering with soft materials such as leatherette, leather. The choice is made taking into account financial capabilities, since the implementation of the second option will cost more. It is permissible to finish the front door from the inside and outside. To improve the appearance, foam rubber is placed under the upholstery.
- Laminate. Slabs of different sizes are used. Installation is carried out by placing the door in a horizontal plane. For fastening, adhesive or nails are used. The first option is suitable for metal doors, the second - for wooden doors. If glue is used, after installing the laminate slabs, any relatively heavy load is placed on top of the horizontally oriented door leaf.
You can use any of the methods to decorate an old door. However, the sashes must first be cleaned.
Decor with a mirror
Advantages of this method:
- expansion of space;
- the ability to distract guests from defects on the sash;
- if desired, a large mirror can be installed, which will not only distract from scratches or chips on the surface of the door leaf, but also cover them; At the same time, the interior will also be transformed.
Decorating doors can be done quickly and without the need for assistants if you use acrylic panels with amalgam. They are characterized by excellent reflectivity and can be installed on doors made of any materials. Advantages of this solution:
- a wide range of design options, different in base color;
- acrylic panels are not deformed;
- light weight of the product with a mirror surface;
- attractive appearance.
The main disadvantage is the high price of the material. Due to their light weight, decorating a door with acrylic panels is easy to do yourself. During operation of the sash, no maintenance is required, since the mirror element does not weigh down the structure.
Classification of door trims
Such products are divided into groups according to two parameters: the type of material from which they are made; appearance. The following varieties are distinguished:
- natural wood panels;
- plywood;
- plastic products.
Decorative elements for doors are also selected taking into account the parameters. The following characteristics are taken into account:
- strength;
- wear resistance;
- life time;
- moisture resistance, which is especially important if you plan to install linings in the opening at the border with the street.
Plastic linings will last longer than their wood counterparts. Such panels are quite durable and can withstand the negative effects of external factors. The surface of the plywood and MDF overlay may be damaged if it is not protected with film materials. Natural wood lasts a long time, but provided that the decor of the front door is done according to all the rules: first, the surface of the door is prepared, then it is covered with paneling.
Wooden
Panel options available for sale:
- laminated;
- painted;
- veneered;
- varnished.
The difference between them lies in appearance and properties. Lacquered panels on the door look more attractive, because in this case the natural pattern of the wood cut is preserved. Laminated products are covered with a waterproof film, but it is still better not to install them on doors bordering the street. Thanks to the protective film, the decorative finish of the doors will last longer. However, this option is the best when installed in apartments.
Painted products are inferior in appearance to the analogues discussed above. However, they can be decorated by covering the sash with paint of the desired color. If you plan to install linings on the front door, the choice is made taking into account the stylistic direction of the interior of the room.
Veneered panels are less resistant to moisture than their analogues. They last longer if they do not have direct contact with water, for example, in apartment buildings. Veneered and laminated panels are subject to restoration in case of deformation under the influence of moisture, but this will require a lot of effort, money and time. In private homes, it is recommended to install varnished or painted decorative panels. They are easier to restore. The coating will have to be restored regularly (every 3-5 years).
MDF
This material is a wood derivative. It consists of small shavings called wood dust. To glue these particles together, polymer compounds are used. This combination of materials makes it possible to obtain durable panels that are resistant to moisture.
However, MDF linings are characterized by hygroscopicity if there is no cladding layer on top. Laminating film is used as this material. When choosing the decor of interior doors, you should remember that the slightest deformation of the skin will lead to a deterioration in the water-repellent properties of the panel. It is recommended to install MDF overlays in apartments. If, nevertheless, it was decided to mount them on the entrance door of a private house, it is better to make a canopy and try to eliminate the possibility of the product coming into contact with water.
Plywood
The properties of this option are similar to natural wood: it is susceptible to rotting and is not resistant to moisture (it deforms and swells). However, if wood can be protected with antiseptics and special impregnations (hydrophobizers), then plywood, even with proper care, will fail faster. This is due to the heterogeneous structure: the presence of wood chips and adhesives.
The selection and installation of overlays of this type should be done on the condition that they will not border the street. In this case, it is mandatory to design the door with plywood panels. Decoration is carried out using the same materials as for natural wood: paints and varnishes, thin veneer, lamination.
Plastic covers
This is another option for finishing the entrance leaf, however, such panels are superior to the analogues discussed above in terms of service life, degree of reliability, and resistance to moisture. Plastic can be used for decades. If you choose high-quality linings, the coating will retain its properties throughout its entire service life. Such products do not deform, do not break in the cold, are resistant to high temperatures, and do not fade in the sun.
Panels of this type can be installed on wooden, metal or plastic doors. They are suitable for installation in apartments and private houses. It does not matter whether the pad comes into contact with water. If such products represent a low or medium price category, care should be taken to protect the structure by installing a canopy over the entrance to the facility, since in this case the quality of the material is worse. The plastic has a finishing coating; it is sewn into the panel structure, so it will not peel off like decorative stickers on a door.
Self-installation
Before purchasing, you should familiarize yourself with the range of such products. The fact is that the linings are offered in two versions: for external and internal installation. The products of both varieties differ in size. The installation method for each group of materials is also different. Install door decor with your own hands according to the instructions:
- All fittings are dismantled: lock, handle, peephole.
- First, the trim is installed on the inside of the door leaf. It is pre-treated with an adhesive composition, which will strengthen the structure.
- The lining is fixed using clamps.
- Perforate the sash: 4 rows of 5 holes.
- It is necessary to insert self-tapping screws into the prepared areas. It is important to correctly calculate their length, otherwise the front side of the door will be damaged.
- The clamps are removed.
- The described steps are repeated when installing the lining for external fixation, but in this case the screws should be located around the perimeter of the sash. Moreover, they are installed in areas where the sheet of metal protrudes beyond the frame of the door leaf.
Recommended fastening pitch: 20-25 cm. Self-tapping screws must be decorated, for which sealing gaskets are used. If you need to improve the appearance of an interior door, use a similar method. However, for fastening it is enough to choose glue.
MDF overlays are very popular. After all, this is an excellent option for both metal entrance doors and interior openings. Affordable prices and fairly simple installation play an important role in their popularity. Looking through the photos, you can see how diverse this material is in texture and color palette.
MDF door overlays: advantages
A strong entrance door reliably protects your home from outside penetration. The door structure, made of metal, corresponds to its main functional purpose in the best possible way. But the times when they were installed in apartments without external decoration are long gone. Now it looks rather unpresentable. Most people want to see not just a door leaf, even a very durable one, but an attention-grabbing, decorative element of the interior, harmoniously combined with the overall style of the room. Today, a wide variety of raw materials can be used for facing work. One of the successful finishing options is door linings made of MDF - a modern and fairly easy-to-process material.
MDF is a wood fiber board produced using the dry pressing method. Door panels made of this material are in demand among buyers; they have firmly held their position in popularity for several years now. Such overlays are installed not only on new metal doors, but with their help you can easily hide imperfections and minor damage to old ones that already require some restoration. The undoubted advantages of this finishing coating include such material properties as:
- excellent fire resistance;
- long service life;
- good moisture resistance.
An important advantage is that MDF door linings allow you to imitate almost any, even the most expensive, coating, for example, any valuable type of wood. And the main thing is that you can purchase such panels at a very affordable price, getting an exquisite and stylish version of a decorative element of the interior for the low cost of the product itself.
But the aesthetic component does not exhaust all the advantages of MDF door trims. They have many other advantages:
- environmental cleanliness, absence of harmful emissions, complete safety for humans;
- good resistance to microorganisms;
- excellent resistance to mechanical stress;
- excellent tolerance to heat and frost without destruction or loss of shape;
- maintaining properties and its original appearance, regardless of temperature fluctuations and changes in humidity.
In addition, MDF panels perfectly retain heat in a room, increase burglary protection and significantly improve sound insulation performance.
What size do these door trims come in?
MDF is quite easy to process. It cuts easily, without any significant effort. Therefore, it is possible to make even a complex, curved cut on a product - “this does not seem to be an insurmountable task. Thanks to the plasticity of the material, door panels can be made of any shape. MDF overlays are usually made to order according to the size of the door opening. Their production is possible not only for standard, but also for those with non-standard dimensional parameters.
Features of MDF overlays
MDF panels can be installed on any door. Strength, durability and a rich color palette of the material allow them to be used in a wide variety of conditions. Such overlays can be placed both on the door leaf facing directly onto the street, for example, in a country house, and for an interior opening. A wide variety of surface textures provide an excellent opportunity to install them indoors, optimally selecting the colors and texture of the material that best suits the interior of the apartment, without disturbing the already established harmony.
But MDF overlays look most beautiful and aesthetically pleasing on entrance doors. This material lends itself perfectly to additional surface treatment. Therefore, for even better protection and enhancement of qualities, coatings such as:
- PVC film (polyvinyl chloride);
- veneer;
- special paint.
Protecting MDF with PVC film allows you to achieve even higher levels of wear resistance and resistance of the product to adverse effects. In addition, it becomes possible to imitate the texture of natural wood. Even better results can be achieved by veneering the surface with particularly valuable wood species. And by painting MDF with a special composition, it is possible to obtain the most unexpected visual effects.
Is it possible to install door trims yourself?
If you have the necessary equipment and tools, and also have at least a little knowledge and skills regarding installation work, you can try to install the door trims yourself.
Advice. You should not take risks and undertake the installation of overlays if the appropriate tools and minimum skills for such work are completely absent.
You need to act in a certain sequence, having first freed the door leaf from locks and fittings.
- Apply glue to the panel intended for the inside as a safety net, attach it to the door leaf and secure with special clips.
- Drill the required number of holes on the outside of the door, screw screws through them directly into the inner trim.
- Remove the clips from the inner panel and transfer them to the outer trim already attached to the door leaf.
- The outer panel is installed in the same way as the inner one, with the exception of the fastening points with self-tapping screws, which must be screwed around the perimeter of the door leaf into the protruding part of the metal.
Attention! The length of the screws must be selected so that they do not protrude from the front of the panels.
Decorative MDF overlay is a real decoration for the door structure. By choosing the most preferable option in terms of texture and color, you can create a harmonious combination in the house with an existing interior, in accordance with the general style of the room. If you have the necessary experience, it is possible to install such panels yourself, otherwise it makes sense to contact a specialist.
MDF overlays: video
Look at other people's doors with an installed MDF overlay framed by platbands, and you will subconsciously be visited by an involuntary feeling of respect and slight envy. Do you also want to cover your doors with MDF overlays?
MDF overlay for a metal door is an expensive finish. You can order installation of the overlay from any construction organization. The service will cost you between $125-135.
But there is a way out: you can measure these overlays, order them, bring them, install them yourself and save money. The motto “Do it yourself” is quite appropriate here.
Your costs will be only:
Cost of manufacturing MDF 10 mm thick. - one square meter 25-30 $.
Transportation cost is 6-10 $.
The installation cost is free, you do it yourself.
This means that the total costs will be $56-70 for a door size of two square meters.
Net savings of $31-40, which is about 45-51% of the amount for the service from the construction organization.
Therefore, having decided to complete the entire complex of work,
Let's draw up a step-by-step plan:
Collection and preparation of tools.
Measuring the door and drawing up a sketch.
Order MDF overlays from the manufacturer.
Installation of MDF overlay.
Collection and preparation of tools
You need to prepare:
1. Screwdriver cross number 7.
2. Small hammer.
3. Electric drill.
4. Clamps 2 pcs.
5. Tape measure 2.5 m.
6. Construction plumb line.
7. Drills with a diameter of 2.8 mm, 3 mm, 10 mm.
8. Conical cutters for metal with a diameter of 8 mm, 10 mm.
9. Self-tapping screws for metal 20 mm. - 25 pcs.
10. Plastic plugs for self-tapping screws.
Door measurement
Measure the width and height of the door. Check the correctness of the rectangular contour of the door leaf.
Draw up a sketch of the door, taking into account the discrepancies between the actual dimensions and the correct rectangle.
Show on the sketch the desired thickness of the MDF overlay. It is the thickness of the overlay that determines the depth of milling of the pattern and its relief.
The most popular linings are 10 and 16 mm thick.
Order MDF overlays from the manufacturer
When ordering a trim, you should take into account the consistency of its pattern and color with the design of all doors in the apartment.
The usual turnaround time is approximately a week.
Remember, the pad weighs 15-25 kg and requires a vehicle to transport.
Installing MDF door trim
Before installation begins, it is necessary to free the door surface from all fittings: handles, bolts, oarlocks, peepholes.
Make markings on the MDF panel for drilling holes for self-tapping screws. Self-tapping screws will secure the trim to the metal of the door.
When marking, pay special attention to ensure that the drillings do not coincide with the area where the fittings are located.
After marking, drill holes with a diameter of 2.8 mm and you can proceed directly to installing the MDF.
Open the door slightly, apply the trim, and press it with clamps exactly along the contour of the panel.
Drill holes in the metal of the door using the markings already made in the trim and secure it with metal screws. Select a conical chamfer for each self-tapping screw head using a large drill only by hand.
Sections of the article:
There are several common ways to decorate entrance doors. Among the most popular methods of such finishing are processing using various structural paints, decor with wooden slats and even laminate (if the inside of the door is lined). Such work is a rather labor-intensive process that requires a fair amount of skill and scrupulousness. Decorative finishing of a door can only be done with truly high-quality and aesthetically pleasing quality only by a true master of his craft. The situation is completely different with linings on entrance doors.
They are one-piece decorative products that can be used to decorate your front door in a short time. At the same time, the result of finishing using an overlay does not greatly depend on the skill of the performer. If a metal door has lost its aesthetic appeal, the question of replacing the structure or restoration work becomes urgent. Or after carrying out renovations in an apartment or house, it becomes clear that visually the door from the inside of the home is absolutely not in harmony with the interior of the room.
Of course, as a solution to these problems, you can choose to finish the door with leatherette. But, the service life of such material is significantly shorter than that of high-quality linings. Of course, if your financial capabilities allow, you can tolerate the noise and debris in your home a little and wait for the installation of a new high-quality door. However, in this case it is necessary to prepare for additional costs.
For example, if the entrance doorway of the home itself has non-standard dimensions. In this case, the price of manufacturing and installing a new structure will immediately increase by 30%. In addition, the new door will most likely have a mid-price laminated overlay installed, which will not last much longer than leatherette.
In this situation, it seems advisable to leave the existing metal door and choose a high-quality and durable cover for it. Moreover, if the structure itself is still strong and reliable. Below we will describe the main types of door linings, discuss their advantages and disadvantages, and also outline the principle of installing these elements with your own hands.
Door trims: types and their features
All linings for entrance doors are divided according to strictly two criteria - the material from which this or that lining is made and by appearance. The quality of these products, service life and aesthetics of the product depend on what material was used in the production process of the lining. Next, we will consider the most commonly used materials for the manufacture of door trims.
Wooden
As a rule, several types of overlays are produced from wood, which differ in the way the material is decorated. In this sense, such products can be divided into varnished, painted, finished with laminate or veneer. The exact material used to process the door affects not only the appearance of the structure, but also a number of characteristics of the door linings themselves.
For example, veneer is not a sufficiently moisture-resistant material. For this reason, the use of such finishing is not recommended for doors installed in a private house. Such overlays look great and are used on apartment doors that do not have direct contact with the street. Wooden laminated overlays have similar qualities. True, they are not susceptible to the influence of moisture to such a high degree. In general, it can be objectively stated that the most suitable linings for entrance doors to buildings in the private sector are painted or varnished products. After a certain number of years, this coating will most likely have to be restored, but this is much easier and cheaper than simply throwing the product away, as happens with laminated or veneered overlays.
At the same time, it is worth noting that overlays made of laminate and veneer can be restored, but this operation will require significant funds and time.
From plywood
Plywood overlays strongly resemble similar wood products. The difference, perhaps, lies only in the cost of the material and some technical characteristics. It must be recalled that plywood is a wood-derived material. Simply put, it is veneer glued together in thin layers. Such material, when permanently exposed to external factors, gradually delaminates.
Moreover, this process does not depend on the moisture resistance of a particular type of plywood. Sooner or later such material becomes unusable. This does not mean that plywood is not suitable for finishing entrance doors. This material has proven itself well when used in apartments. The plywood overlay can be coated with varnish, paint, lamination film or decorative veneer. But it is still not recommended to use it in private homes.
MDF
MDF is also, in a sense, a derivative of wood. This material is made from fine wood dust interconnected using the latest polymer compounds. It is thanks to the use of polymers that such a lining installed on the front door is a fairly moisture-resistant type of finish. This is a characteristic quality of MDF products. At the same time, without additional protection in the form of an additional layer of laminate, sawdust and polymer compounds cannot neutralize the effects of moisture.
In addition, this additional layer of protection is usually very thin, which leads to the possibility of damage to the coating. However, if you use these pads carefully, they can be used effectively in outdoor conditions. At the same time, one of the conditions for the durability of such products is the installation of a canopy over the door and minimizing contact with water. Despite the fact that MDF overlays can be used to decorate the entrance door to a private house, they have shown themselves to be most effective when used in apartments.
Plastic
It is plastic door linings that are best suited for use as finishing for entrance doors to a private home. Despite permanent contact with water, this material will be used for many years. In addition, plastic compares favorably with other finishing materials in the absence of a top decorative layer. More precisely, it is a structural component of the material itself and does not deteriorate under the influence of atmospheric conditions.
It is important to remember that there are a large number of products on the market made from plastics of varying quality. The durability of the door lining depends on this factor. Cheap plastics quickly fade when exposed to sunlight and are easy to scratch. Higher quality products, in the manufacturing process of which various modifiers are used, do not have such disadvantages.
How to install the trim yourself
First of all, it should be noted that there are two types of door linings: internal and external. Typically, these products differ in size and installation method. The differences in the installation of the two types of overlays will become clear during the work process, but to do this it is necessary to understand the general technology of finishing the door using these products.
The first step is to remove the fittings and lock from the door leaf. Then an adhesive composition is applied to the inner lining, which serves as an additional fastening and will give the structure reliability. Using glue is a kind of insurance. After this, you need to attach the trim to the door leaf, align it evenly and secure it with four clamps. Soft cloths should be placed under the fastenings to protect the pad. Now you need to drill holes in the door leaf from the outside, located vertically. There should be four rows of five holes in each.
Then you need to screw the inner trim through the prepared holes using wood screws. In this case, it is important to accurately calculate the length of the fasteners, because otherwise they can pierce and damage the lining on the front side. Now you need to remove the clamps and transfer them to the outer part of the door leaf in accordance with the holes and slots.
The installation of an external door trim is almost identical to the installation of an internal one. The difference lies in the location of the fastening screws. They must be screwed into the door leaf strictly along the perimeter of the lining in those places where the steel sheet extends beyond the frame of the leaf. Self-tapping screws should be screwed in increments of 20-25 cm. The specific screwing interval is selected depending on the weight of the lining. To close the screw heads after fastening is completed, sealing gaskets are used to prevent air from penetrating between the door leaf and the frame.
In conclusion, it can be noted that installing overlays on the front door for a private house is not particularly difficult. In the process of performing the work, it is quite possible to do it yourself, without involving a specialist in the installation. It is enough to prepare in advance the required tools and materials, understand the principle and sequence of installing door trims.